Bill To Allow State Of Tennessee To Acquire Farmland Easements Killed For This Session Despite Pressure From GOP Leadership & Gov. Lee

Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov

The Tennessee Conservative [By Kelly M. Jackson] –

As the 113^th General Session is set to close within two weeks, a piece of legislation that was ordained directly by Governor Bill Lee has been sent to General Subcommittee where it will end with no opportunity for resurrection unless there is all new legislation carried next year.  

The reason for this decision, according to sources, is because the bill lacked support, and would have been killed all together if it had not been rescued and put away for another day. 

SB2099/HB1890 states, “Agriculture – As introduced, establishes a program to allow the department of agriculture to acquire and administer real estate interests in the state, including the administration of grants for the purpose of preserving farm and forestry land; creates the Farmland Preservation Fund to be used for the program; specifies provisions that must be included in an agricultural easement acquired through the program. – Amends TCA Title 43, Chapter 1, Part 1.”

Agricultural conservation easements can be described as a deed restriction landowners voluntarily place on their property to protect resources such as productive agricultural land, ground and surface water, wildlife habitat, historic sites or scenic views. They are used by landowners (“grantors”) to authorize a land trust or public agency (“grantee”) to monitor and enforce the restrictions set forth in the agreement. 

Generally, these easements are of a permanent nature, although the legislation in this case does specify “a term of 15 years or longer.”

The legislation also indicates that the Commissioner of Agriculture will promulgate rules in accordance with something called the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act. That legislative process is often how laws get altered without new amendments being filed as bills. 

Senate Bill 2099 lost momentum back on 2/28, when it was placed on Senate Energy, Agriculture, and Natural Resources Committee calendar for 3/6. The bill however was never heard in that committee, essentially relegating it to General Subcommittee by default since the committee closed somewhere around the second week of March.

The state website does not indicate with specificity when the committee closed, it was however one of the first committees to do so. 

However, the committee was reopened and it was an indicated that leadership, specifically Governor Lee, wanted to take another swing at passage of the bill, since the legislative process for its companion in the house had kept moving, with HB1890 being placed on the agenda for Calendar and Rules committee to be heard and a vote taken on the House floor. 

Sources tell The Tennessee Conservative that when the committee was reopened, the bill’s Senate sponsor, Senator Jack Johnson (R-D27-Franklin) was unable to muster the support that was needed to pass the bill through committee, and so showed up in person to send the bill to General Subcommittee himself, instead of having the committee kill it with a lack of votes. 

Last week, state senator Steve Southerland (R-D9-Morristown), Chairman of the committee, collapsed during floor session requiring emergency medical attention. 

Sources indicate the episode was stress related, due to pressure applied from on high to reopen the committee in hopes of allowing the committee to pass the bill on the Senate side. 

When the 113^th general session ends, the bill will become part of history along with it. Any efforts to revive this initiative will have to start from scratch.

About the Author: Kelly Jackson is an escapee from corporate America, and a California refugee to Tennessee. Christ follower, Wife and Mom of three amazing teenagers, she has a BA in Comm from Point Loma Nazarene University, and has a background in law enforcement and human resources. Since the summer of 2020, she has spent any and all free time in the trenches with local grassroots orgs, including Mom’s for Liberty Williamson County and Tennessee Stands as a core member.  An outspoken advocate for parents rights, medical freedom, and individual liberty, Kelly also has a YouTube channel @Tennessee_Truth_Teller and is planning on expanding out to other channels soon. Kelly can be reached at kelly@tennesseeconservativenews.com.